John PORTER

1 _UID 60ACC2CEC99E4C7B88C08A9D1E34F1E86452

1 _UID 4FB5C4AF7D049D4E80376F2C9441B45412D4

Estate of John Porter of Salem Essex Probate Docket # 22468

In the name of God Amen. I John Porter of Salim Senr. in theCounofEssexin New England Yeomn. Do declare and make my lastwillandtestament inmanner and forme following. Impr. my imortall soul Ido desire humbly and believeingly tocomittuntoye everlasting mercyes ofGod, Father, Sonne and Holy Ghost, mybodyIcommit to ye earth to bedecently buried at the discretion ofmyx'ianfriends. And my outward estateI do dispose thereof inmannerfollowing. Impr. I do constitute and ordeinemy loveing wife MaryPorter,soleexeccutrix of this my will, unto whom I dogive the one halfeof allmygoods, debts, chattills, & cattell etc. andalso during her lifeIdogive her one third pt. of the yearly vallew of allmy houses andlandsorthe thirds thereof as the law directeth. To my SonneJohn Porter who by his Rebellious & wicked practiseshathbeena greatgreife to his parents, & hath greatly wasted myestate,oncondicconshereafter expressed, I do give unto him one hundred&fiftypounds, incurrant pay of ye Country at three paymts annually i.e.fifthpounds p ann.Provided always before the payment of any pt.thereofhe yesaid Jno. Portershall make, signe, & seale unto mysonnesJoseph,Benjamin & Israell, theirheyres & assignes, or to some oneofthem inbehalfe of the rest of mychildren an absolute & full releaseofanyfurther clayme to any pt. of myhouses and lands whereof Iamnowpossessed, and in speciall to any pt. ofyt necke of landytwassometimes Mr. Skeltons, & in ye meanetime shallnotdirectlyorindirectly make or signe any alienation thereof to anyother,and incaseye sd. Jno. Porter shall faile in yeformance of thiscondicconformorethan one yeare after my decease, then the above namedlegacyofonehundred and fifty pounds shall be utterly voyd. and in lew yrofIdogive him five pounds to be payd in country pay withinthreeyearesaftermy decease at the discreccon of my Excecutrix. Item. I dogive and bequeath to my Sonne Benjamin Porterthesefollowingparcells ofland, namely all that parcell of landcommonlycalledBishop's farm also twohundred acres of land more or less,lying inblindhole, given mee by thetowne, also one hundred acres oflandpurchased ofMr. Broadstreeet alsofive acres of fresh meadowpurchased ofJafferyMassey, also eight acres ofmeadow & upland more orless purchasedof Wm.Nicholls & formly was a pt. ofBishop's farme, alsoten acres ofuplandbought of John Hawthorne of Linn, &was formlyappteyneing to Wm.Bailyalso one hundred pounds to be pd. inCountry payat two equallpaymtsannually within two yeare next after mydecease. To my daughter Mary the wife of Thomas Gardiner to whom Ihavealreadydonefor according to my ability, I do give to herthreechildrenfortyshillings apiece and also I do give to my daughter Maryandtomydaughter Sarah to be equally divided between them,thefarmecalledSmith's farme conteyneing eighty acres more or less &onehundred&twenty-five acres lying between the farm yt wassometimeKenistones&Laurance Leaches, also ten acres purchased of Mr.Gotte and islyingnextto Putmans agt. mr. Downeings farme, also theabovenamedKenistonesfarme, conteyneing two hundred acres more or less,withtwentyacres ofmeadow appteyneing thereunto. Item. I give and bequeathunto my Sonne Joseph Porter five poundstobepayd. with in two yeares aftermy decease and forty shillingsapeecetoeach of his children to be pd. atye same time. To John Porter Sonne of my sonne Samuel Porter I do giveten poundstobepayd him at 21 years of age. It. I do give & bequeath to mysonne Israel Porter, my nowmansionplacewith all ye housing thereupon;orchard & lands adjoiningvizt. somuch aswas by mee purchased of Mr. Sharpviz. with all yeappurtenancesto yesame belonging, also I do give himsixty acres ofSkeltons necke i.e.that pt. wh. I purchased of Mr. Skeltonsdaughters. It. I do give and bequeath to Joseph, Benjamin &IsraelPortertheremainder of Skelton's neck of land, conteyneing 150a[cre]smoreorless, and I do order them to make payment of the onehundred&fiftypounds by mee bequeathed unto my sonne John Porter. To mysonne Benjamin I do give a parcel of land wh. I purchasedofMr.Gott,conteyneing eighty acres, more or less, and thirtyacrespurchasedof JacobBarney Junr. and forty acres purchased of JaferyMasseyandforty acrespurchased of Gm. Watson & forty acres purchasedofJnoPickard and my willis that he shall pay to my two daughters Mary&Sarahfifty pounds apiece,virt. in five years time, ten pounds pr ann.toeachof them. It. I do giveto my sonne Israel Porter my interest in the sawmillnearSkeltons neck.It. I give & bequeath to the Reverend Mr. John Higgisonfortyshillings,andto the poor of Salim five pounds, to be distributed bymyoverseersas theyshall in their discreccon judge meet. To my wife over & beside wt. isbefore given her, I do give hermybestfeather bed, with all appurtenancesnecessary to compleat yesame,andalso give pounds in money and it is mywill yt. wt. shee shallspareofyt. pt. of my estate yt. I have abovebequeathed to her that sheedoinspeciall wise consider my two daughtersand be helpfull totheminconfidenc whereof I have disposed to her and tomy sonnes my estateasisabove expressed. To Cornelius Baker & Jno. Gloverdo give forty shillings apiece,tobepayd. within twelve mos. after mydecease in country pay. Finally, I do nominate & intreate my loveingfriends Mr. EdmundBatter&Mr. Hilyard Veren to be the overseers of this mywill. To whome Idogivefull power & authority to determine any doubt ordifference yt.mayariseconcerning the trew meaning of this my will & incase anylegateeshallrefuse to submit thereunto, hee or they shall looseallyeinteresttherein, and as a toaken of my love and respect tomyoverseers,I dogive them forty shillings ap. to be pd. in money. Inwitness hereof I do hereunto put my hand and seale this 28thdayofAprill1673. JOHN PORTER, Sen. (Seal) Sealed & published In presence of SamuelDanforth Peter Olliver Thomas Brattle, Junir

And the residue of my goods & chattels not a(ready) disposed ofIdogiveand bequeath to my sonnes Joseph, Benjamin & Israel, &mytwodaughtersMary & Sarah, to be equally divided between them.

Inventory-attachment Source: A Porter Pedigree, being an account of theancestryanddescendantsof Samuel and Martha (Perley) Porter of Chester,N.H.,whowere descendantof John Porter, of Salem, Mass. And of AllanPerley,ofIpswich, Mass.',compiled by Miss Juliet Porter, Worcester,Mass.1907,pages 26-27 Probate Court, Salem, Book 1, page 97

From Yarmouth NS Genealogies by George S Brown, pg 175: He settled firstin Hingham, where he had lands granted to him -55acresof upland, 6 acresof salt meadow and 5 acres of fresh meadow.Hemusthave been a welleducated man, for he at once took a leading partinthecommunity, and wasselected for public office. In 1640 hewasappointedon a committee todivide the lands at Cohasset thatstillremainedungranted; in 1641 he waschosen assessor for Hingham, andin1644 he waselected Deputy to theGeneeral Court of Mass. In May, 1643 he bought from the Rev. SamuelSharp, for 117 lbs, afarminthat part of Salem now known as Danvers. Hesubsequentlypurchasedotherextensive properties in the vicinity, and whenhe died hewas thelargestlandholder in the Salem district. In 1646 heremoved tohisnewlyacquired property, and in 1668 he was elected torepresent SalemintheGeneral Court. herever he lived he was a man ofenergy andinfluence,andheld many places of trust and responsibility.

He was a town selectman in 1660 - 62, 1668 and 1671

John PORTER(29) was born about 1596 in Dorset,Dorchester,England.(579)Hegraduated on 20 MAR 1635 in Emigrated fromEngland to Hingham, MA. (580) He diedon6SEP 1676 in Salem, Essex,Massachusetts. (581m to son Joseph aswedding present and yet, at the time ofhis death, he was largest land holder in Salem. He owned land in Danvers,Salem, Wenham, Topsfield andBeverly.Held many offices; assessor 1640,constable 1641, General Court 1644 &1668.His son, John, was imprisonedfor abuse of his parents in 1665. Thisisafamous case cited in many booksincluding 'Founding Mothers and Fathers'.

Provided by: Hal W. Jennings He was married to Mary _____ about 1632 inEngland. Childrenwere:_____PORTER, John PORTER , Samuel PORTER, JosephPORTER, Benjamin PORTER, Israel PORTER,MaryPORTER,Jonathan PORTER, SarahPORTER.

579. A Porter Pedigree by Juliet Porter, 1907 & (AGenealogyofRichardPorter and John Porter by Joseph W. Porter, 1878)Location is an educated guess. When he left England, this was his home.PAGE: (223). 580. Some Descendants of Stephen Lincoln, et. al.TheKnickerbockerPress.1930. Sailed in ship Susan & Ellen from Weymouth,England. PAGE: 213. 581. A Porter Pedigree by Juliet Porter, 1907 & (AGenealogyofRichardPorter and John Porter by Joseph W. Porter, 1878) Hiswill is published in both references. PAGE: 20 (226).

The Great Migration Begins Sketches PRESERVED PURITAN

JOHN PORTER

ORIGIN: Unknown MIGRATION: 1633 FIRST RESIDENCE: Roxbury REMOVES: Bostonby 1637, Portsmouth 1638, Pettaquamscutt after 1665 CHURCH MEMBERSHIP:Admitted to Roxbury church as member #74,amongthosewho arrived in 1633[RChR 78]. FREEMAN: 5 November 1633 [MBCR 1:368]. FreemanatorganizationofPortsmouth, Rhode Island, 7 March 1637/8 [RICR1:52].Admitted freemanatthe establishment of the joint government ofNewportand Portsmouth,12March 1639/40 [RICR 1:100]. In Portsmouth sectionof1655 list ofRhodeIsland freemen [RICR 1:300]. EDUCATION: The officesand committees to which he was electedorappointedin Rhode Island indicateconsiderable education. OFFICES: Committee to lay out land at Portsmouth,20 May 1638,16November1638, 2 January 1638/9, 30 April 1639 [RICR 1:55,62, 64, 71]. Assistant for Portsmouth to Rhode Island court, 12 March1639/40,16March1640/1, 16 March 1641/2, 23 May 1650 [RICR 1:101, 110,120, 220]. On 19 May 1657 'Mr. John Porter being chosen a commissioner bythetownofPortsmouth, he being sick, and not able to attend, his fineisbythisCourt remitted' [RICR 1:355]. Commissioner for PortsmouthtoRhodeIslandcourt, 10 March 1657/8, 23 August 1659, 22 May 1660[RICR1:366,419,428]. On 18 May 1658 'Mr. John Porter and Mr.JohnRoome,chosencommissioners for Portsmouth, they being by illness notabletoattendthat service, their fines are remitted' [RICR1:393-94].Placedsecond invoting for Assistant from Portsmouth, 17 May1659, 22 May1660[RICR1:408, 427]. Committee to 'ripen the matterconcerning thepurchasemadeby the gentlemen of the Bay, in Narragansett,'22 May1660[RICR1:429-30]. Audit committee, 21 May 1661 [RICR 1:442].Committeetoraisemoney for obtaining royal charter, 21 May 1661 [RICR1:444].(Chosenbytown of Portsmouth as commissioner to Rhode Island court,16 May1651,16April 1657, 2 March 1657/8, 11 May 1658, 8 August 1659, 9May1660,11May 1661, 12 May 1662 [PoTR 49, 75, 83, 84, 90, 92, 104, 110].)Grand jury, 13 March 1659/60 (foreman), 8 October 1661[RITrials1:60,73;PoTR 108]. Jury, 8 June 1657 [PoTR 76]. Petit jury,30June1657(foreman), 13 March 1659/60 (foreman), 11 March 1661/2, 7May1666[RICT1:28, 61-63, 65-66, 79, 2:43]. Portsmouth selectman, 30 April1[639], 2 June 1650, 5 June 1654,2June1656, 22 November 1658 (moderator),21 December 1659 (moderator),9July1660 (moderator) [PoTR 3, 46, 63, 71,88, 91, 94]. Committee totreatwithNewport men, 28 November 1643 [PoTR24]. Committee to selecttownmeetingdays, 14 November 1644 [PoTR 30].Committee to plead at theGeneralCourt,4 February 1646[/7] [PoTR 34].Committee to answerNewportmessengers, 6July 1647 [PoTR 35]. Magistrate, 2June 1649 [PoTR42].Committee todispose of Portsmouth land, 2 February1651[/2] [PoTR57].Committee todiscuss the line with Newport, 2 February1651[/2],19December 1662 [PoTR58, 115]. 'Conservator of the peace,' 1April1653[PoTR 59]. Committee totreat with Newport regarding a debt, 5May1655[PoTR 67, 69]. Committeeto dispute town's right to HoggIsland[PoTR80]. Deputy warden, 7 June1658 [PoTR 85]. Committee toconfirmeveryman's land, 8 August 1659 [PoTR90]. Committee to settle thelinewithNewport, 5 January 1660[/1] [PoTR99]. On 17 March 1655/6 'Mr.Porter is freed from personal training, onlyheisto pay sixteen shillingsa year' [RICR 1:335]. ESTATE: Granted two hundred (or two hundred andforty) acresatPortsmouth,10 February 1639/40 [PoTR 9; RICR 1:73]. Grantedfiveacres'next unto theswamp down to the sea,' 5 (or 15) October 1643[PoTR21;RICR 1:77]. On 1October 1661 a committee 'set the trueboundsbetweenthe land of Mr. JohnPorter, & the land of Mr. ThomasBrownell'[PoTR104-05]. On 6 October 1642 'John Porter of Portsmouth' soldto John Sandfordofthesame town 'all my part of the land in the CalvesPastureinconsiderationof land at Long Meadow' [PoTR 310]. On 26 September1671 'John Porter of Pettacomscutt on the ColonyofRhodeIsland' sold toRichard Smith of Newport, merchant, twohundredforty-twoacres of land inPortsmouth; on 30 September 1671'HurrudPorter'consented to this deed'notwithstanding my jointure ordower mademe by mynow husband beforemarriage with me' [RILE 1:9]. On 1January1671[/2?]'John Porter ofPetiqomscut in Narrogansett'deeded to 'WilliamGardiner,son to Georg[e]Gardiner,' two hundred acresat Newport;consented to by'Horad Porter'[RILE 1:95]. On 27 December 1671JohnPorter granted toNicholas Gardiner 'asixth part of the thousandacres... laid out to usthe six purchasers ofthe Narragansett Land';'HoradPorter' consented[RILE 1:99]. On 22 November1673 'John Porter &HoradPorter my wife' gaveto Nicholas Gardiner onehundred acres[RILE1:99-100]. As one of the six Narragansett purchasersJohn Porterparticipatedindividing up the Narragansett land [RILE 1:12,111, 237]. BIRTH: By about 1608 based on estimated date of firstmarriage. DEATH: After 25 April 1674 [RILE 1:111]. MARRIAGE: (1) By about1630 Margaret (_____) Odding (assuming shewasthemother of his daughterHannah), widow of William OddingofBraintree,Essex [TAG 73:176-80];'Margret Porter the wife of JohnPorter'admittedto Roxbury church asmember #75 [RChR 78]; on 3 May1665'MargaretPorter, the wife of JohnPorter,' petitioned the RhodeIslandcourt forrelief, since her husband hadabandoned her, upon whichthecourt orderedthat John Porter's estate beimpounded for her benefit[RICR2:119-121];Porter soon made provision forhis wife, and theattachment ofhis estatewas ended [RICR 2:126-27]. (2)After 1665 and before 1671 Horrod (Long) (Hicks)Gardiner,divorcedfrom, ordeserted by, John Hicks and George Gardiner[RICR2:99-104;Austin 81; TAG21:194-95]. (John and Horrod probablynevermarried [seeCOMMENTS below.)CHILD: With first wife

i HANNAH, b. say 1630; m. by about 1650 Samuel Wilbore,sonofSAMUELWILBORE.

COMMENTS: Pope makes the Roxbury man the same as the JohnPorterwhowaslater in Hingham and Salem, but the Roxbury churchadmissionrecordforPHILIP SHERMAN explicitly states the move of theRoxbury mantoRhodeIsland. In a letter dated 19 February 1637/8 to JohnWinthrop,ThomasDudleyconsented to allow Wheelwright supporter John Porterandseveralothersto depart with their fines released as long as they'notreturn anymore'[WP 4:14]. On 28 May 1660 it was voted (apparently bythe town of Newport)'thatachallenge from Mr. William Dyer of Newport toMr. John PortarofPortsmothabout the propriety of our lands and libertiesof thepeoplewithin thejurisdiction of Providence Plantations be publiclyreadin theassembly tobe answered in writing.' This was read at aPortsmouthtownmeeting on 4June 1660 and 'Mr. John Portar accepts of itand isresolvedto answer itin writing' [PoTR 93]. On 27 August 1661 'Mr.John Porter' appears in the listofCommissionersfrom Warwick to the RhodeIsland General Court[RICR1:447]. This may be asimple scribal error, butit probably doesnotindicate that Porter hadmoved to Warwick at this time,as John Porteronthe same day wasappointed to a committee to raise moneyfor theeffortsof Mr. John Clarkein England [RICR 1:448]. Until hisremoval to Pettaquamscutt, John Porter was ahighlyrespectedmember of townand colony, frequently being calledtoresponsible office.After his move,the court began to demandhisappearance at court,presumably to respond tothe claims made againsthimby his first wife,whom he had abandoned, but herepeatedly failedtoappear, 24 October1666, 6 May 1667 [RICT 2:50, 54]. On23 October1667the indictment was'against Mr. John Porter of Narragansettin theKing'sProvince and HarrudLong alias Gardiner for that they aresuspectedtocohabit and so to livein way of incontinency' [RICT 2:61]. On11May1668 John Porter finallyappeared in court, entered a plea ofnotguilty,and was acquitted [RICT2:65]. Horrod was herself broughtintocourt andtried on the same chargeand was also acquitted, 21 October1668[RICT2:70; see also RICT 2:100]. On 22 October 1673 Mr. Richard Smithsuccessfully sued John Porterfordebt[RICT 3:33]. (Austin dated this eventat the following court, 11May1674[Austin 155].)

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